While a woman is pregnant, her body undergoes hormonal changes which increase the risk of developing gum disease which is bad for the health of her baby. Therefore, it’s important for you to take good care of your teeth and gums while you are pregnant. The following tips will help you maintain good oral health before, during, and after pregnancy.
Before You Get Pregnant
Make an appointment with your dentist before conceiving. This way you will get treated and remove oral health problems, clean your teeth before getting pregnant.
Dental Care While Pregnant
• If you are pregnant, tell your dentist. You can have a routine dental checkup at any time during pregnancy. In case of any urgent treatment, you might undergo some dental treatment but it is usually will be postponed until after the delivery. The doctors will give you some safety measures, instructions, and precautions for you.
• Tell your dentist about medications and prenatal vitamins prescribed by your doctor and dosages of all medicines you are taking. Your dentist might need to change your dental treatment procedure based on this information. Therefore, it is necessary for them to know.
• Dental X-rays can be done during pregnancy. Your dentist will use extremely careful and provide some safety to you and your baby, by shielding your abdomen and thyroid. Recent technologies are very much safer as compared to the previous one.
• Always follow a good oral hygiene practice to avoid or reduce oral health problems even if you are not pregnant.
• If you are having morning sickness and you don’t feel like brushing your teeth, you can use a bland-tasting toothpaste during pregnancy.
• Due to morning sickness, you will have frequent vomiting, after which you should rinse your mouth with water.
• Try to Avoid sugary snacks. You may have sweet cravings during pregnancy which is very common. But try to keep in mind that the more these sugar snacks will develop tooth decay and harm your baby’s health.
• Follow a healthy, balanced diet. Your baby’s first teeth start to develop in nearly three months into a pregnancy. Diets containing dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are a good source of calcium and other essential minerals required for the baby’s health in developing teeth, gums, and bones.
• Don’t skip any of your dental checkup appointment because you are pregnant and taking your growing fetus is your first priority. When you are pregnant your body develops hormonal changes which put you into an increased risk for developing periodontal disease and tender, swollen, bleeding gums which is also known as pregnancy gingivitis. If this occurs talk with your dentist as soon as possible.
After You’ve Had Your Baby
If you experienced any gum problems during your pregnancy, you should immediately go to a dentist after delivery and examine your entire mouth.
